Sturgis Fellowship
With the first Sturgis class matriculating in 1986 and graduating in 1990, the Sturgis
Fellowship is the oldest of the prestigious fellowships at the University of Arkansas.
The sterling record of our Sturgis Fellows, both while they are on campus and after
they leave Arkansas and establish their careers, speaks to the strength of the faculty
and staff--and the curriculum they oversee--of the Fulbright College Honors Program.
Each Sturgis Fellow receives the kind of individual attention from the Director, Associate Director, and staff of the Fulbright College Honors Program that guarantees that their experience at Arkansas will be both memorable and productive. We are, indeed, a small family of committed Fellows, faculty, and staff, and we are accordingly proud of our Fellows’ accomplishments.
Since 1986, Sturgis Fellows have won the Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, Gates Cambridge, Goldwater, and Fulbright Scholarships. And Sturgis Fellows study abroad too while at Arkansas: India, South Africa, Ghana, Rwanda, China, Russia, Italy, Germany, Austria, Australia, Scotland, Ireland, Spain . . . and the list goes on.
But our Fellows’ success here at Arkansas also provides an eloquent precursor to their accomplishments after leaving our campus: Sturgis Fellows are currently pursuing successful careers as doctors, lawyers, publishers, writers, consultants, software engineers, professors, sustainability advocates, and business entrepreneurs, to name a few.
So, we look forward to working with those students who fit the Sturgis profile, from the application and the interviews to the moment that we bestow the graduation certificates!
Please contact us if you have further questions about the Sturgis Fellowship. Follow us on Facebook!
Qualifications
Applicants must be incoming first-year students seeking a major in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. The Sturgis Fellowship is awarded based on a holistic review of written fellowship application materials, which include an essay, an analysis of three works, a list of activities and awards, and two academic references. Applicants who are considered for a Sturgis Fellowship demonstrate:
- Strong academic curriculum and performance, including ACT and SAT scores
- Strong writing ability
- Service and community involvement
- Intellectual curiosity and interest in creative pursuits
- An interdisciplinary approach to academics and/or research
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core principles that we also seek to see reflected in our Sturgis cohort. To learn more about the Fulbright College Honors Program mission and values, read our Mission Statement.
Finalists will be notified in February and invited to interview during Fellowship Weekend.
Applying
All Fellowship applicants must apply through the University of Arkansas Honors College. Candidates for the Sturgis will be chosen from the larger fellowship applicant pool. All students who meet the GPA and testing requirements for a fellowship will be notified through their New Student Center. More information about being considered for fellowships can be found at the Honors College Fellowship Application Checklist. Applications must be received no later than February 1st, but for the strongest chance at consideration, applicants should submit their scholarship application by the priority scholarship deadline.
Notification
Finalists will be notified by end of March if they received the Sturgis Fellowship.
Amount Available
$72,000 for four years.
More Information
University of Arkansas Honors College
244 Gearhart Hall
479-575-7678
honors@uark.edu
Supported by the Roy and Christine Sturgis Charitable and Educational Trust, the Sturgis Fellowship at the University of Arkansas commemorates the industry and vision of Roy and Christine Sturgis. Having worked in the sawmills since he was a boy, Roy Sturgis was one of ten children of an Arkansas farmer and homemaker. He eventually met and married Texas native Christine Johns, and the couple made their fortune in the timber and sawmill industries of southern Arkansas. Roy Sturgis died in 1976, and Christine Sturgis died in 1981, having created the Dallas-based charitable trust that bears their names. Although neither had an opportunity to receive an advanced education, they both clearly recognized the importance of such an education, and their generosity has provided scholarships for many young people attending colleges and universities in Texas and Arkansas.